Feeding the Homeless a Souffle

I wasn’t thinking. I don’t like being late and I was in unfamiliar territory hence I arrived about half an hour early for my appointment. I was the first appointment of the day and the office door was locked when I arrived on the fourth floor.

A short time before as I walked into the building I noticed a homeless man sitting on the bench near the elevators. I admit I was a little concerned this early in the morning and all alone in the building. I kept my head low and quickly went up the elevator only to realize no one was there and the door was locked.

I came down the elevator, left the building and got in my car to find some coffee. While I was driving around I decided to buy the homeless man something to eat. I went to Panera Bread, bought my coffee, and a souffle. Panera doesn’t carry much in the way of hardy breakfast food so this was it. I rushed back to the building because now I was late and there he was sitting on the bench. I quickly ran over, handed him the souffle and headed to the fourth floor. He eagerly took the food.

When I walked in for my appointment I asked if the homeless man was always there. “Yes,” came the reply. Then she added, “Was he relieving himself?” “ No”, I shrieked, “he was just sitting there.” My friend explained he frequents the building and they can’t seem to get him to go or to help him. “When he gets unruly the security will come and shew him away”, she said to me. I apologized and said I felt like I had just fed the pigeons. You know when there are birds around outside a restaurant and you feed them only to insure they will come back again.

When I relayed this story to my family and friends they laughed at me. “Only you would feed a homeless man a souffle,” they laughed and I admit I laughed too. It began to sound pretentious and condescending as I replayed the story to myself through the day. I had felt pretty noble before as I thought about buying breakfast for a homeless man. I haven’t had much contact with really poor people lately. Have I lost my compassion or my manners? I use to work with the poor at a crisis pregnancy center years ago. Has my life become to comfortable?

This was on Tuesday and I have been thinking a lot about the poor since. Much of Jesus ministry was to the poor whom no one else seemed to care about. His heart was moved with compassion and He cared about them. He fed them, healed them, delivered them from demons and taught them about the kingdom. He spoke to them and valued and respected them. Many questions came to my mind and I found some answers.

How does the Lord feel about the poor?
Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” In Proverbs 14:20 we are told, “the poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.”

What is the Lord’s response to the poor?
Psalm 1:21, I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”

What does the Lord say my response should be to the poor?
Proverbs 14:31 gives us one answer, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Psalm 83:3, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.”

What happens if I do not heed the Lord’s command?
Proverbs 21:13, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

What happens when I do obey the Lord regarding the poor?
Proverbs 22:9, “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Proverbs 19:17, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.”

How do I become poor?
Proverbs 21:17, He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.” Proverbs 20:13, “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.”

What do the poor have that others do not?
Proverbs 13:8, “A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.”

What does the Lord require of me?
We are commanded to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. I discovered that I cannot ignore or leave the poor to others. They now seem to stare at me from street corners, hospitals, jails, nursing homes and in the market. They live in my city and need my compassion, prayers, time and love. I can feed them, care for them, help them, clothe them, teach them, give to them and love them but I am not allowed to ignore them.

Lord, help us to see the poor as you see and love them. Give us hearts of compassion to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with you. Help us to hear the cries of the poor and to respond kindly. Give us generous hands for the poor and needy in our land.

-Livie Sanchez